T, V, and W Words

This is the last group of writing terms that I will post from the book "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Creative Writing" (2nd edition) by Laurie E. Rozakis.

1. theme- a literary work's main idea, a general statement about life. The theme can be stated outright in the work, or readers will have to infer it from details about plot, characters, and setting.

2. tone- the writer's attitude toward his/her subject matter. For example, the tone can be angry, bitter, sad, or frightening.   
3. transitions- words and phrases that give writing coherence.
4. turning point- see climax.
5. verse- a stanza in a poem.
6. voice- the author's personality expressed through his/her writing.
7. writing- a way of communicating a message to a reader for a purpose.

S Words

I will be posting writing terms every other week from the book "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Creative Writing" (2nd edition) by Laurie E. Rozakis.

1. scene- a part of a play. Each scene in a play takes place during a set time and in one place.
2. science fiction- (or sci-fi) is fantasy writing that tells about make believe events that include science or technology.
  3. sensory language- words that appeal to the five senses: sight, hearing, taste, touch, or smell. Sensory language is used to create images and imagery.
4. setting- the time and place where the events of a story take place.
5. short story- a form of narrative prose fiction that is shorter than a novel; it focuses on a single character and a single event. Most short stories can be read in one sitting and convey a single overall impression.
6. simile- a figure of speech that compares two unlike things. Similes use the words "like" or "as" to make a comparison. "A dream put off dries off like a raisin in the sun" is an example of a simile.
7. sonnet- a lyric poem of 14 lines written in iambic pentameter.
8. speaker- the personality the writer assumes when telling a story. For example, the writer can tell the story as a young girl, an old man, or a figure from history.
9. stage directions- instructions to the actors, producer, and director telling how to perform a play. Stage directions are included in the text of a play, written in parenthesis or italics. They describe how actors should speak, what they should wear, and what scenery should be used, among other things. 10. stanza- a group of lines in a poem, like a paragraph in prose. Each stanza presents one complete idea.
11. style- an author's distinctive way of writing. Style is made up of elements such as word choice, sentence length and structure, figure of speech, and tone. A writer may change his or her style for different kinds of writing to suit different audiences. In poetry, for example, a writer might use more imagery than he or she would use in prose.
12. surprise ending- a conclusion that differs from what the reader expected. In most stories, the ending follows logically from the arrangement of events in the plot. In a surprise ending, however, final events take an unexpected twist.
13. suspense- the feeling of tension or anticipation a writer creates in a work. Writers create suspense by including unexpected plot twists. This keeps readers interested in the story and makes them want to read on to find out what will happen.
14. symbol- a person, place, or object that represents an abstract idea. For example, a dove may symbolize peace or a rose may symbolize love.

R Words

I will be posting writing terms every other week from the book "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Creative Writing" (2nd edition) by Laurie E. Rozakis.

1. realistic fiction- contains imaginary situations and characters that are very similar to people in real life.
2. refrain- a line or a group of lines that are repeated at the end of a poem or song. Refrains serve to reinforce the main point and create musical effects.
3. repetition- using the same sound, word, phrase, line, or grammatical structure over and over for emphasis.
4. resolution- the resolution of a plot occurs near the end of a story, when all the remaining strands of the story are woven together.
5. rhyme- the repeated use of identical or nearly identical sounds. Poets use rhyme to create a musical sound, meaning, and structure.
- end rhyme occurs when words at the ends of lines of poetry have the same sound. Lines that end with the words bat, cat, sat, or rat would have end thyme.
-internal rhyme occurs when words within a sentence share the same sound. For example: "Each narrow cell in which we dwell." Cell and dwell have internal rhyme because they share the same sound and one of the words is set in the middle of the line.
6. rhyme scheme- a regular pattern of words in a poem that end with the same sound.
7. rhythm- the pattern of stressed and unstressed words that create a beat, as in music.
8. rituals- little habits that provide structure to writers.

O and P Words

I will be posting writing terms every other week from the book "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Creative Writing" (2nd edition) by Laurie E. Rozakis.

1. onomatopoeia- the use of words that imitate the sounds they describe- for ex., words like "snap" and "crackle."
2. passive voice- in passive voice, the subject receives the action.
3. personification- giving human traits to nonhuman things. For ex: "The book begged to be read."
4. persuasion- a type of writing that tries to move an audience to thought or action.
5. plot- the arrangement of events in a work of literature. Plots have a beginning, middle and end. The writer arranges the events of the plot to keep the reader's interest and convey the theme. In many stories and novels, the events of the plot can be divided as follows:
- exposition: introduces the characters, setting, and conflict
- rising action: builds the conflict and develops the characters
- climax: shows the highest point of action
- resolution: resolves the story and ties up all the loose ends
6. poetry- a type of literature in which words are selected for their beauty, sound, and power to express feelings. Traditionally, poems had a specific rhythm and rhyme, but such modern poetry as free verse does not have regular beat, rhyme, or line length. Most poems are written in lines, which are arranged together in groups called stanzas.
7. point of view- the position from which the story is told. The three different points of view writers use most often:
- first-person point of view: the narrator is one of the characters in the story. The narrator explains the events through his/her own eyes, using the pronouns I and me.
- third-person omniscient point of view: the narrator is not a character in the story. Instead, the narrator looks through the eyes of all the characters. As a result, the narrator is "all-knowing" (omniscient). The narrator uses the pronouns he, she, and they.
- third-person limited point of view: the narrator tells the story through the eyes of only one character, using the pronouns he, she, and they.
8. prose- all written work that is not poetry, drama, or song. Examples of prose includes articles, autobiographies, novels, essays, and editorials.
9. protagonist- the most important character in a work of literature. The protagonist is at the center of the conflict and the focus of our attention.

M and N Words

I will be posting writing terms every other week from the book "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Creative Writing" (2nd edition) by Laurie E. Rozakis.

1. main character- the most important figure in a novel, short story, poem, or play.
2. memoir- a forts-person writing about an event.
3. metaphor- a figure of speech that compares 2 unlike things. The more familiar thing helps describe the less familiar one. Metaphors do not use the words "like" or "as" to make the comparison. "My heart is a singing bird" is a metaphor.
4. meter- a poem's rhythmical pattern, created by a pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables. The most common meter in English poetry is called iambic pentameter. it is a pattern of 5 feet, each having 1 unstressed syllable followed by a stressed one.
5. minor character- a less important figure in a literary work, who serves as a contrast to the main character or to advance the plot.
6. mood- the strong feeling we get from a literary work. the mood (or atmosphere) is created by characterization, description, mages, and dialogue. Some possible moods include terror, horror, tension, calmness, and suspense.
7. myth- a story from ancient days that explains certain aspects of life and nature.
8. narration- writing that tells a story. narrations that tell about real events include biographies and autobiographies. Narrations that deal with fictional events include short stories, myths, narrative poems, and novels.
9. narrative poems- poems that tell a story, either through a narrative storyline told objectively or through a dramatized situation.
10. narrator- the person who tells a story. The narrator may also be a character in the work.
11. nonfiction- a type of writing that deals with real people and events. Essays, biographies, autobiographies, and articles are all examples of nonfiction.
12. novel- a long work of fiction. The elements of a novel- plot, characterization, setting, and theme- are developed in detail. Novels usually have one main plot and several less important subplots.

G, H, I, and L Words

I will be posting writing terms every other week from the book "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Creative Writing" (2nd edition) by Laurie E. Rozakis.

1. genre- a major literary category. The 3 genres are prose, drama, and poetry.
2. haiku- a Japanese poetic form that uses only 3 lines and a total of 17 syllables.
3. hero/heroine- literary characters who we admire for their noble traits, such as bravery, selflessness, or cleverness. In the past, the term "hero" was used to refer to a male character, the term "heroine" for a female character. Today, "hero" is used for either male or female characters.
4. humor- parts of a story that are amusing. Humor can be created through sarcasm, word play, irony, and exaggeration.
5. hyperbole- exaggeration used for a literary effect such as emphasis, drama or humor.
6. image- a word that appeals to one or more of our five senses; sight, hearing, taste, touch, or smell.
7. imagery- imagery is the use of images and figurative language that helps readers visualize a person, place, thing, or situation.
8. inciting moment- the beginning of a conflict.
9. irony- occurs when something happens that is different from what was expected. In verbal irony, there is a contrast between what is stated and what that statement suggests. In dramatic irony, there is a contrast between what a character believes and what the audience knows to be true. In irony of situation, an event reverses what the readers or characters expected.
10. limerick- a type of humorous poetry. Limericks have 5 lines, a strong rhyme, and a set rhythm. The 1st, 2nd, and 5th lines rhyme with each other and the 3rd and 4th rhyme with each other- aabba
11. lyric poems- brief, musical poems that express a speaker's feelings.

E and F Words

1. epic- a long narrative in an elevated style, presenting high--born characters in a series of adventures that depict key events in the history of a nation. 2. essay- a brief writing on a particular subject or idea.
3. exposition- a type of writing that explains, shows, or tells about a subject. The word can be also be used to mean the opening parts of a play or story. During the exposition, the characters, action, and setting are introduced.
4. extended metaphor- an extended metaphor compares two things at length and in several different ways.
5. fable- a short, easy-to-read story that teaches a lesson about people. Fables often feature animals that talk and act like people.
6. fantasy- a kind of writing that describes events that could not take place in real life. Fantasy has unrealistic characters, settings, and events.
7. farce- a humorous play that is based on a silly plot, ridiculous situations, and comic dialogue. The characters are usually one-dimensional stereotypical figures. They often find themselves in situations that start out normally but soon turn absurd.
8. fiction- writing that tells about made-up events and characters. Novels and short stories are examples of fiction.
9. figures of speech- figures of speech (or figurative language) use words in fresh, new ways to appeal to the imagination. Figures of speech include similes, metaphors, extended metaphors, hyperbole, and personification.
10. flashback- a scene that breaks into a story to show an earlier part of the action. Flashbacks help fill in missing information, explain that characters' actions, and advance the plot.
11. foot- a poetic foot is a pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables arranged in metrical feet. A foot is composed of either two or three syllables, such that the nature of the foot is determined by the placement of the accent. There are six basic types of metrical feet in English. The first four are very common; the last two are rare.
12. foreshadowing- provides clues that hint at what will happen later on in the story. Writers use foreshadowing to create suspense and link related details.
13. frame story- a shorter story within a larger one. Often, the longer story introduces and closes the frame story.
14. free verse- poetry without a regular pattern of rhyme and meter. Walt Whitman's poetry is an example of free verse.

D Words

I will be posting writing terms every other week from the book "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Creative Writing" (2nd edition) by Laurie E. Rozakis.

1. denotation- a word's exact meaning.
2. denouement- the resolution of a story. At the denouement, all the loose ends of the story are woven together.
3. description- a kind of writing that creates a word picture of what something or someone is like.
4. dialect- the way people speak in a certain region or area. In a dialect, certain words are spelled and pronounced differently. use dialects to define characters and setting more fully.
5. dialogue- conversation in fiction or drama. it is the exact words a character says. in a story or novel, quotation marks are used to indicate dialogue.
6. diary- a writer's record of his or her experiences, ideas, and feelings.
7. diction- word choice.
8. drama- a piece of literature written to be performed in front of an audience. The actors tell the story through their actions and words.
9. dramatic monologue- a type of poem in which a character speaks, using the first-person point of view.
10. dramatic poetry- a play written in poem form.

B and C Words

I will be posting writing terms every other week from the book "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Creative Writing" (2nd edition) by Laurie E. Rozakis.

1. ballad- a story told in song form. Ballads often tell stories about adventure and love.
2. biography- a true story about a person's life written by another person.
3. blank verse- unrhymed poetry, usually written in iambic pentameter. Many poets write in blank verse because it captures the natural rhythm of speech.
4. catalog technique- a poetic list.
5. character- a person or animal in a story. Main characters have important roles in a literary work; minor characters have smaller roles.
6. characterization- the act of telling readers about characters. Sometimes, writers tell about characters directly. Other times, writers let readers reach their own decisions by showing the comments, thoughts, and actions of the other characters.
7. chronological order- arranging the events of a story in order in time from first to last.
8. climax- the highest point in the action. During the climax, the conflict is resolved and the end of the story becomes clear. The climax is also called the turning point.
9. collaboration- cooperation with two or more people in the writing of a script or other work.
10. conclusion- the end of an article, play, poem, or book.
11. conflict- a struggle or fight. Conflict makes a story interesting because readers want to discover the outcome. A) external conflict- characters struggle against a force outside themselves. B) internal conflict- characters battle a force within themselves. Stories often contain both external and internal conflicts.
12. connotation- a word's emotional overtones.
13. couplet- two related lines of poetry, which often rhyme.
14. creative writing- a kind of writing that uses language in imaginative and bold ways.

A Words

I will be posting writing terms every other week from the book "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Creative Writing" (2nd edition) by Laurie E. Rozakis.

1. act- One of the main divisions in a play. Acts may be further divided into scenes.
2. active voice- In the active voice, the subject performs the action named by the verb.
3. adaptation- A script based on another work, such as a book or article.
4. agent- A person, who tries to sell a writer's work, place the writer in the right job, and guide the writer's career.
5. alliteration- The repetition of initial consonant sounds in several words in a sentence or line of poetry. Use alliteration to create musical effects, link related ideas, stress certain words, or mimic specific sounds.
6. allusion- A reference to a well-known place, event, person, work of art, or other work of literature.
7. anecdote- A brief story that gets the reader's interest and sheds light on a min idea and theme.
8. antagonist- The force or person in conflict with the main charter in a work of literature. An antagonist can be another character, a force of nature, society, or something within the character.
9. article- A short work of nonfiction.
10. author's purpose- The author's goal is writing a selection. Common purposes include to entertain, instruct, persuade, or describe. A selection may have more than one author's purpose, but often one purpose is the most important.
11. autobiography- A person's story of his or her own life. An autobiography is nonfiction and describes key events from the person's life.